About The Majestic Downtown
Built in 1924 by the architectural firm Schultze and Weaver — later famous for designing New York’s Waldorf-Astoria — The Majestic Downtown began as the Hellman Commercial Trust and Savings Bank before serving as the national headquarters of Bank of America. The building is a striking example of Beaux Arts architecture, with 30- to 40-foot coffered Italian ceilings, hand-painted frescoes attributed to Italian artisan Giovanni Battista Smeraldi, and rows of marble columns throughout its grand halls. Today the former bank has been converted into one of downtown Los Angeles’ most opulent event spaces, giving couples a genuinely historic, old-world backdrop in the middle of the city.
Few venues in Los Angeles give us the architectural scale of The Majestic Downtown — soaring frescoed ceilings, marble columns, and warm gold lighting create a look closer to a European cathedral than a typical wedding venue. The combination of dramatic verticality and rich period detail means every portrait, whether a wide shot of the room or a tight detail at the altar, comes with built-in grandeur.
Pros
Museum-scale Beaux Arts architecture, with hand-painted frescoes and marble columns found in very few LA venues
Flexible hall configurations that scale from intimate ceremonies to receptions of over 500 guests
Central downtown LA location, walkable to hotels and other historic architecture for additional portrait backdrops
Getting Ready at The Majestic Downtown
The Majestic Downtown provides a dedicated bridal suite along with a separate groom’s suite, so both sides of the wedding party can get ready privately and simultaneously. Our team uses this time to capture the quieter, more personal moments of the morning — hair and makeup, getting into the dress or suit, and small details like rings and invitations — before the wedding party heads down into the building’s grand halls for the ceremony.
Couple’s Session at The Majestic Downtown
The building’s soaring coffered ceilings, hand-painted frescoes, and marble columns make nearly every corner of The Majestic Downtown a striking portrait location. We especially love photographing couples beneath the frescoed ceilings of the Grand Hall, where the scale of the architecture towers over the frame, as well as against the marble columns and gilded details found throughout both the North and South Halls.
Wedding Ceremony at The Majestic Downtown
Ceremonies at The Majestic Downtown are most commonly held in the North Hall, a roughly 4,900-square-foot room that seats up to 150 guests, framed by the same coffered ceilings and marble detailing found throughout the building. For larger weddings, ceremonies can also be held in the combined Grand Hall space.
Wedding Reception at The Majestic Downtown
Receptions typically move into the South Hall, a roughly 10,500-square-foot space that seats up to 400 guests on the ground level with additional seating available on the mezzanine. For larger celebrations, the North and South Halls combine into the Grand Hall, which can host up to 600 guests for a seated dinner or as many as 1,200 for a cocktail-style reception.
Sample Timeline
11:00 AM — Hair and makeup begins in the bridal suite
12:30 PM — Lulan Studio photo and video team arrives for detail shots
1:00 PM — Getting-ready portraits in the bridal and groom’s suites
2:00 PM — First look inside the Grand Hall
2:30 PM — Wedding party portraits beneath the frescoed ceilings
3:15 PM — Family formal portraits
4:00 PM — Guests arrive and are seated in the North Hall
4:30 PM — Ceremony begins
5:00 PM — Cocktail hour in the South Hall; Couple’s private portrait session around the building
6:00 PM — Guests move into the South Hall for dinner
6:15 PM — Grand entrance and welcome toasts
6:30 PM — Dinner service begins
7:15 PM — Toasts continue
7:45 PM — First dance and parent dances
8:00 PM — Open dancing begins
9:00 PM — Cake cutting
10:00 PM — Dancing continues
10:45 PM — Send-off
11:00 PM — Event concludes
Galleries at The Majestic Downtown
Planning a Wedding at The Majestic Downtown?
The Majestic Downtown is one of the Los Angeles-area venues on our radar for its 1920s Beaux Arts grandeur - see the galleries on this page and browse more of our work across Southern California. Below are a few common planning questions, plus how to check our availability.
How many guests can The Majestic Downtown accommodate?
Capacity depends on configuration: the North Hall seats up to 150, the South Hall up to 400, and the combined Grand Hall can host up to 600 seated guests or as many as 1,200 for a cocktail-style reception.
Does The Majestic Downtown require in-house catering?
The venue offers its own in-house catering and bar service, which many couples choose to use, but outside catering vendors are permitted with prior approval.
Is overnight accommodation available at The Majestic Downtown?
The building itself does not offer guest rooms, but its downtown Los Angeles location puts couples and guests within easy reach of numerous hotels in the surrounding historic core.
How do we check your availability?
Inquire availability or schedule a call - we respond within minutes. You can also review rates and collections.
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